49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Starts in place of CMC

Mitchell rushed for 52 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts while catching both of his targets for 15 yards in Sunday's 21-20 loss to the Rams.

The NFC's No. 1 seed opted to sit multiple stars in Week 18 with nothing to play for. Mitchell took full advantage of Christian McCaffrey's absence by leading the team in all rushing categories and scoring his second touchdown in as many weeks. The oft-injured Mitchell was dealing with an illness during the practice week but seemed 100 percent Sunday, and with an extra week of rest in store for all San Francisco players due to a first-round playoff bye, he should be available to back up CMC when the team resumes play in the divisional round.